Healthy Ramen with Sesame and Fresh Vegetables

I realize that many Top Ramen flavors are actually dairy-free – it was probably the first food I ever learned to cook as a child. But those processed packets are far from nutritious. And while my healthy ramen redux isn’t a full mock of those super-cheap instant lunches, the use of onion powder (not fresh onions!) gives it that nostalgic appeal which I sometimes long for.

I opted for a sesame vibe, because a) I like sesame – it just shouts “amazing Asian food!” – and b) I just received a beautiful bottle of sesame seeds from Simply Organic. I’m gong to be partnering with them in the future (for my upcoming books!), and am elated since I’ve been using (and loving) their spices for years!

I’ve made this healthy ramen many times before with udon noodles, but the one shown is with Muso Soba Noodles that I received as a gift from Gold Mine Natural Foods. They offer both wheat-buckwheat soba and gluten-free 100% buckwheat soba noodles. And as you can see, this healthy ramen is more of a “dry” noodle dish, which is how I like it. I add just 1 cup of broth to the whole recipe to add moisture for “dipping” the noodles without making it overly soupy.

For soy-free healthy ramen, you can use coconut aminos in place of the soy sauce. Note that the flavor may be a touch different, so you may want to adjust the other seasonings, to taste.

Higher Protein Option: For a heftier meal, I think this dish goes nicely with cubed tempeh or cooked chicken. Simply saute about 8 ounces with the mushrooms.

Superfast Tips: For a meal that is ready as soon as the noodles are done, you can cheat and purchase pre-packaged coleslaw mix for the vegetables, pre-sliced mushrooms, and jarred crushed or mince garlic (1/2 to 1 teaspoon). You can also skip the garlic (we often do) or use 1/8 to 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder instead, added with the onion powder.

Note that I like my ramen as more of a dry dish with just a touch of broth, but you can omit or add more broth for a full soup, if desired. This makes a nice light meal as is, but for a more filling dish, heed my recommendations in the post above for added protein or simply bulk up the veggies.

While the pasta is boiling, heat 2 tablespoons of the sesame oil over medium-low heat (I do a lower heat to protect the flavor of the oil, but you can up it to medium if you are really hungry). Add the carrots and cabbage and saute for a few minutes. Add the garlic and mushrooms and saute just until the mushrooms begin to soften, about 3 to 5 minutes (or just 1 minute if using rehydrated mushrooms).

Turn off the heat, and stir in the noodles, soy sauce, remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil, and onion powder. Stir to evenly coat the ingredients. Stir in the broth, if using. The broth adds nice moisture without turning the dish into a full soup.

Season the noodles to taste with salt (I use around ½ teaspoon, but start with just ⅛ teaspoon and work your way up as the saltiness of your ingredients may vary) and pepper. Serve in big bowls.

when I was a kid at sleep away camp, ramen noodle cups were so popular. I never got into them -they were always too salty for me (guess that was my inner dietitian back then!). Your recipe is a fabulous improvement on the ramen of the past!

Oddly enough, I never liked the ramen cups either! Something weird about them – but I the packages were too darn easy to cook at home. Back then (oh my, too long ago) we actually considered them healthy!

seeing as I’m in the midst of moving, i’ve been cleaning out the pantry and finding a tonne of dried noodles including soba ones- Kicking myself that I didn’t put it to good use earlier! Another winner here Alisa!